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Thread: CHILKUR SRI BALAJI TEMPLE- NO HUNDI/NO MONEY OFFERING-UNIQUE

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    CHILKUR SRI BALAJI TEMPLE- NO HUNDI/NO MONEY OFFERING-UNIQUE

    Namaste,

    In one of the posts there was a discussion about commercialization of temples.I remembered about this ancient temple that has no Hundi and does not ask for money donations from devotees.


    From:http://templeatindia.blogspot.in/201...e-with-no.html
    Chilkur Balaji Temple - A Temple With No Hundi


    Chilkur Balaji temple is located on the banks of Osman Sagar Lake in the village of Chilkur, Hyderabad. People call it as Telangana Tirupati and he is also popular as Visa God. It is one of the oldest temples in Hyderabad surroundings; it is believed that it is built during the time of Bhakta Ramadas. People believe that the idol originated hundred years ago before installing in the temple.

    Among all Balaji temples, it is the only temple which doesn’t encourage gifts in the form of money. You don’t even find any hundi (money storage) in the temple premises. Temple trustee Sri M.V. Soundara Rajan and Sri C.S. Gopala Krishna struggled a lot to put the temple out from the clutches of government.

    During Friday, Saturday and Sunday Chilkur Balaji temple receives heavy rush of devotees, approximately 75,000 – 1,00,000 devotees throng to visit lord. It is believed that people who wish a boon needs to circumambulate 11 times around the temple and once their wish is accomplished they need to circumambulate 108 times. It is found that whoever the devotee he/she is with respect to caste or status they need to come by line and have blessing of Lord Balaji.

    According to the history of the location, there was a devotee named “Gonnala Reddy” who used to visit Tirumala Tirupati every year but due to his ill health he was unable to visit Tirupati. He was sorrow about his state, one day lord appeared in his dream and said “Oh my ardent devotee, because you are unable to come to me, I have come to you, I am here at nearby jungle and indicated his location” following lords indications he went to the jungle where he saw molehill tree. Upon removing the tree, accidentally axe struck Lord Balaji’s swayambhu idol accompanied by Sri devi and Bhoo devi. To his surprise, the place where the axe stuck was flooded with blood. Lord infused his soul in one of the devotee among the crowd and said “my bellowed devotees if you do any mistakes by means of known or unknown ill will grant you and bless when you visit me with pure heart and asked devotees to flush with cow milk”

    Devotees who are unable to visit Tirupati visti the temple and take the blessing of the Lord Venkateshwara. It is recommended to devotees not to close their eyes while having his blessings. We have come from long distance to watch his magnificent image and if we close our eyes then we will miss our chance to see him.

    There is also Lord Shiva temple Sri Sundareshwara Swamy”, it is believed that lord is fromed as swayambu Linga. Around 350 years back there was a devotee who worshipped lord Shiva, later a tree originated at that place and people still believe that he is still present there in the form of Atma in the tree. Once a person tried to axe the tree, but he lost his sight, speech and fainted down. He took many medicines, one of the devotee said pour ‘abhisheka theertha’ in his eyes and mouth and take the blessing of lord Shiva. Surprisingly he regained his lost senses.

    Some images:

















    He dances in the golden hall of Chidambaram, Let us worship His rosy anklet girt Feet.

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    Re: CHILKUR SRI BALAJI TEMPLE- NO HUNDI/NO MONEY OFFERING-UNIQUE

    Namaste.

    Some temples may not have an obvious Hundi or donation chain but typically they do and I have no issue with that for after all how is a temple able to be maintained without some support?

    However, there are some which can be a bit "aggressive" about asking for a donation, I have been at a few such in India.

    But one of my fond memories was at a Saiva temple to Lingam in Bhubaneshwar, one of the very ancient and elaborate one's which was a very strict temple about "foreigners" and "Hindus Only" etc. to enter the inner sanctum of the temple before the murti. Yet, after I circumbulated the temple, a pujari along with two priests personally came out and escorted me in directly to the Lingam, puja was then performed specifically, forehead marked with vibhuti right before the Lingam, etc. and hard white prashad as well.

    They asked for no donation, but only smiles. Needless to say, I did give a donation anyway as I wanted to with all my heart. They graciously accepted my donation and I was full of joy.

    Om Namah Sivaya.

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    Re: CHILKUR SRI BALAJI TEMPLE- NO HUNDI/NO MONEY OFFERING-UNIQUE

    Namaste Ram ji,

    Normally at Sri Balaji temples, especially for the one at Tirupathi, a funny tale is being narrated. That, being endebted to Kubera, Sri Balaji blesses all devotees with all kinds of wealth and that, the devotees become proud from all the wealth and commit sins and finally to atone for the mistakes, they donate a lot of wealth back to Sri Balaji at the Hundi which he repays to Kubera.

    I think Sri Balaji himself doesn't like the above popular tale and decided not to accept any Hundi offerings at this sthala.

    Hope you enjoyed the fun.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  4. #4

    Re: CHILKUR SRI BALAJI TEMPLE- NO HUNDI/NO MONEY OFFERING-UNIQUE

    Namaste

    It is recommended to devotees not to close their eyes while having his blessings. We have come from long distance to watch his magnificent image and if we close our eyes then we will miss our chance to see him.
    The Gopis thought that involuntary batting of eyelids was a design flaw in the anatomy due to which they lost darshan of MAdhav GhanaShyAm (Shri KRshNa) for those milliseconds as He walked into the village at dusk after herding the cows, fully covered with dust, dusty neela kuTila kuntala (bluish-black curly hair).

    REF: Gopi Geet , BhAgvat Canto 10 chapter 31 :

    SB 10.31.15
    aṭati yad bhavān ahni kānanaṁ
     truṭi yugāyate tvām apaśyatām
    kuṭila-kuntalaṁ śrī-mukhaṁ ca te
     jaḍa udīkṣatāṁ pakṣma-kṛd dṛśām


    When You go off to the forest during the day, a tiny fraction of a second becomes like a millennium for us because we cannot see You. And even when we can eagerly look upon Your beautiful face, so lovely with its adornment of curly locks, our pleasure is hindered by our eyelids, which were fashioned by the foolish creator.

    --------

    On another note, Shri BAlAji Himself keeps His eyes closed with a tape over them because if He were to open them the devotees would not be able to handle the tej (brilliance) they emit.


    nAchata bipina bihAri S S jay mAdhava madana murArI ...
    Last edited by ameyAtmA; 26 July 2014 at 05:54 PM. Reason: Lost original post while adding verse
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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